


Eleemosynary - Homeless

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1474]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:16:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21682057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Gibbs delivers his usual round of toys to the local homeless shelter. He's surprised to discover Tony there.
Relationships: Anthony DiNozzo/Jethro Gibbs
Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1474]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/444514
Comments: 18
Kudos: 96
Collections: Cutsycat's NCIS Happy Holidy LJ Challenge 2019





	Eleemosynary - Homeless

**Author's Note:**

> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 05/14/2003 for the word [eleemosynary](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2003/05/14/eleemosynary).
> 
> eleemosynary[ el-uh-mos-uh-ner-ee, -moz-, el-ee-uh- ]  
> adjective  
> of or relating to alms, charity, or charitable donations; charitable.  
> derived from or provided by charity.  
> dependent on or supported by charity:  
> an eleemosynary educational institution.
> 
> This is for Day 5: Trimming the tree/Ornaments/Sparkle/Glitter of the [Happy Holiday Challenge on lj](https://ncis-discuss.livejournal.com/228636.html).

“DiNozzo? What are you doing here?”

“Hey, boss. I’m just visiting.”

“You’re visiting a homeless shelter?”

Tony nodded. 

“Is there something you need to tell me?”

Tony frowned and thought about it. “No, I don’t think so.”

Gibbs wrinkled his brow as he stared at Tony. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Tony was living here and not telling him.

“Why are you here anyway, boss?”

Gibbs held up the box in his hand. “Brought some toys to help the eleemosynary establishment here.”

“That’s great. The kids will love them. Thanks.” Tony took the box from Gibbs' hands and headed down the hallway with it.

“Hey! Wait a minute, DiNozzo,” Gibbs barked. “Where are you going with that?”

“I’m going to put it with the other donations for the kids. There’s a planned Christmas Eve celebration to hand them all out. You’re welcome to come by and help.”

“Will you be there?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.” Tony flashed one of his charming grins.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes as he watched Tony. He couldn’t tell if the guy was a really helpful volunteer or if he was covering for the fact that he was living at the shelter. Gibbs didn’t know what to think nor whether he should show up to the Christmas Eve celebration.

“What about a tree trimming party? Will there be one of those?” Gibbs gestured at the lack of a Christmas tree in the facility. 

“I don’t know if a Christmas tree is in the cards this year. The prices keep going up. I’ll let you know if we get one and need help decorating, though.”

Gibbs frowned. Christmas without a Christmas tree full of presents for the kids sounded terrible. “You have to have a tree.”

“We’ll see.”

“No, I insist. I’ll go find a tree and bring it back.”

“You don’t have to do that, Gibbs.”

“I know that, DiNozzo,” Gibbs snarled as he stormed out of the shelter. He was a bit surprised Tony didn’t follow him, but guessed that Tony must have better things to do than worry about what Gibbs was up to. 

Gibbs headed for his favorite tree farm. It was the farm from which he would always get a tree when Shannon and Kelly were alive. They used to bring Kelly down to pick out the tree and then Gibbs would be the one to chop it down and load it up while Shannon and Kelly enjoyed hot cider and cookies. 

Kelly always went for trees with character and Gibbs thought that the kids at the shelter would be the same. He’d never known exactly which tree Kelly would pick, but there had been a general theme. Gibbs had narrowed it down to one of three, but he couldn’t decide which one would be the best. 

“You need some help?” Tony called out.

“Tony?”

“Hey, boss. Figured you’d be here. I brought some help.” Tony gestured to the five children with him. 

“Great.” Gibbs gestured to the three trees that he’d narrowed it down to. “Which one, you guys?”

Gibbs hunkered down to the kids height as he weighted to hear their verdict. Each kid with Tony’s encouragement came to him and whispered their preferred tree in his ear. Gibbs nodded to each and every one of them and sent them back to Tony. Once all five had shared their choices, Gibbs encouraged Tony to take them up to enjoy the hot apple cider and cookies. 

“Don’t you need help with the tree?”

“Nah. I’ve done it by myself for many years while Shannon and Kelly enjoyed the cider and cookies. It’s fine. Go on.”

Tony stared Gibbs in the eye before nodding and leading the kids away. Gibbs took the chainsaw and walked over to the tree that the kids had picked and chopped it down and attached it to his car. Then he headed for the cabin to join the kids and Tony. 

Tony raised his mug of cider to Gibbs as he came in. Gibbs nodded back and they shared a smile over the kids' heads. Once Gibbs paid for everything, he settled down in a chair to watch the kids and especially Tony.

“Are you guys going to help me trim the tree?” Gibbs asked as he gently sipped his own cider.

All five of the children started talking and sending pleading looks to Tony. Tony just shook his head and agreed that they could help decorate the tree. The kids shouted for joy and climbed all over Gibbs and Tony in their excitement. 

Gibbs chuckled and Tony softly ordered, “Finish your cider and cookies, so that we can head back.”

The kids nodded and quickly finished their cider before clamoring to head back now despite still having cookies. Tony shook his head. “Grab some napkins. You know what will happen if you get crumbs all over the floor.”

The kids chorused, “We’ll have to clean the van, again.”

Gibbs smiled as he watched Tony corral the kids into the van. He followed them and climbed into his own vehicle after he was sure that all the kids were safely in the van. Tony peeled off for the road first and Gibbs followed along behind him. Even with the tree on top of his car, though, Gibbs still beat Tony and the kids back to the homeless shelter. 

The kids spilled into the shelter chattering happily as Gibbs undid the tree from the top of his car and carried it inside. Tony herded the kids out of the way, so that they wouldn’t accidentally trip Gibbs. Once Gibbs got the tree set up and Tony laid out a nice tree skirt to catch the pine needles and add some more color to the tree, they unleashed the kids on it.

Tony had found a box of old Christmas decorations and set up some make your own ornament stations. All of the kids, not just the five that had gone with Tony to meet Gibbs at the Christmas tree farm, were joyously making ornaments and adding them to the tree. Gibbs and Tony settled in a couple of chairs nearby.

They exchanged happy smiles as the kids decorated. Both of them were on hand in case things got out of control, but there had been no issues so far. Gibbs turned to Tony, “So how long have you lived here?”

Tony sputtered. “What are you talking about? I don’t live here.”

“DiNozzo. I’ve been donating to this shelter every year for the last twenty years and this is literally the first time I’ve ever seen you here.”

Tony blushed. “Not long. Only a month or so. My dad kind of took over my apartment and I needed somewhere else to stay.”

“Why didn’t you ask if you could stay with me?”

“I didn’t want to impose.”

“You’re never an imposition, Tony.”

Tony just shrugged and grinned softly at Gibbs. Gibbs waited until the tree was decorated and the kids had returned to their normal activities before ordering, “You’re coming home with me, Tony.”

“I’ve made commitments here, Gibbs.”

“And we’ll fulfill them together, but you’re coming home with me.”

“Fine.” Tony smiled. He wasn’t stupid enough to protest what he wanted too much. Tony went into his room and packed his things which generated concerned protests from the kids, but Tony assured them that he would be back to visit. 

“Are you sure you’ve only been here a month?” Gibbs murmured as they left. “You’ve certainly made an impression on these kids.”

“I may have dropped in a time or two after Abby told me that you usually donated to this shelter,” Tony offered shyly.

Gibbs shook his head. “You really should have just told me how you felt.”

“Like you did, you mean?”

Gibbs grunted as he pulled into his driveway. He turned off the car and pulled Tony into a kiss. When he needed to breathe, Gibbs murmured, “Clear enough?”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. “Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> The dictionary.com series has no stories already written for it after this one, so I will be posting at least no more stories before I stop posting again. I'm hoping to get more stories written before then, so that I don't stop posting for a while. Wish me luck! 
> 
> 2019 is almost over now! If you haven't used up your 50 prompts you only have one more month to do so. Go [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2019/profile) to add your prompts to my 2019 Prompt Collection. Just click the sign up link. ;) It will remain open until the beginning of 2020. I'm hoping to complete all the 2019 prompts by the end of 2020. 
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes. Please note if you have already voted in the poll and would like to request more stories you can just add a comment to the poll. Please include the name along with the prompt, so that I can appropriately gift the prompt to you.
> 
> For any authors that want to chat and/or are looking for a place where they can toss plot ideas around and get input from people, you can come join my discord server that is specifically geared towards writing/encouraging people to write and authors. The invite link is [here](https://discord.gg/HFvwpCq). If you're not an author, but want to chat with me about writing/stories or anything else you are welcome to join. I reserve the right to boot you from my server if all you do is pester me about updates, however. *grin* Really anyone who wants to talk about writing and/or plot ideas for various stories is welcome to join. 
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them. 


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